cNw #101 Norton Commando 850

Fast Eddie said:
Awesome !

We still meetin’ at the H ?
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I haven’t forgotten Nige, looking forward to it. Did you go to the Cassington day on Monday? 10k bikes with plenty of Nortons and a superb Vincent Black Shadow.


cNw #101 Norton Commando 850



cNw #101 Norton Commando 850



cNw #101 Norton Commando 850




cNw #101 Norton Commando 850
 
Café au Lait said:
I haven’t forgotten Nige, looking forward to it. Did you go to the Cassington day on Monday? 10k bikes with plenty of Nortons and a superb Vincent Black Shadow.


And at least one Honda CBR1100 XX Super Blackbird. One of the finest motorcycles ever produced in my opinion, and now sooooo cheap.

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850
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Importation taxes paid! Not far off now. A little snag for the logistics company; the crate is too large for their tail lift 😫 They’ve requested to unload it within the truck and roll onto the lift; what could possibly go wrong?😱
 
Café au Lait said:
My thoughts exactly. The problem is that Matt’s crate is huge, 8’x4’x4’ but at least I will be helping/supervising/ videoing. It’s coming tomorrow so that’s no sleep for me tonight.
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Yes - I remember now...
My crate was modified (made smaller) before the 2000km road trip North to me.
The bloke who did it was a well known importer who did a great job - lucky for me.
Cheers
 
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Annoy the neighbours, no, might wake them up and give them a thrill or music to their ears lol, enjoy your new baby and get to know it.
All the best and take it easy till you get to know it better.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
Annoy the neighbours, no, might wake them up and give them a thrill or music to their ears lol, enjoy your new baby and get to know it.
All the best and take it easy till you get to know it better.

Ashley
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For sure, I never take liberties with new bikes/cars and none more so than this one with its right shift upside down box and left break; a whole new learning curve but I’m sure I’ll soon settle in to it
 
Café au Lait said:
For sure, I never take liberties with new bikes/cars and none more so than this one with its right shift upside down box and left break; a whole new learning curve but I’m sure I’ll soon settle in to it
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Well really it's about time you got the best shift for a bike, just take it easy for a while and you will get use to the change, you just got to train your brain, I rode jap dirt bikes before I brought my new 74 Commando and 2 close calls with the opposite gear and brake set up within the first week imbedded into my brain, I still had the dirt bikes and I soon had no problems changing bikes, my brain just knows which bike I am on and it just comes natural with me changing bikes, I still have a dirt bike, Norton and modern Triumph and I always prefer the Norton change, it's the smoothest of all.

Ashley
 
Café au Lait said:
Got home safely!

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850

It’s wet sumped of course so Thursday will be ‘annoy the neighbours day’ as I’m out tomorrow.
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Did Matt give you any special instructions for first start up. I'd pour an egg cup of oil down the pushrod covers to lube the cam and followers. Battery might need a charge perhaps. And yes check for wetsumping and check oil return under the seat on start up. A nice clean on a sunny day incase any salt got into the crate perhaps.
 
Great to see it finally arrived safe.

For what it's worth, I started my '70 Roadster for the first time this year a few weeks ago, and with a sump full of oil.
After the usual freeing of the clutch and a couple of gentle turns on the kickstart to find tdc it started on the first kick.
No smoke, no dramas.
 
Bike looks great and I can fully appreciate how relieved and excited you must be on its safe arrival and the feelings of anticipation of the first start and ride. Was the same with me and the little Matchless I bought from the UK.
 
So happy for you! I looked up that youtube video of your bike earlier today when I saw this update. I just had to see it in action and remember the early days when I was looking for a Commando and got all fired up when I saw this youtube video of this guys with a fully restored cNw Commando. I immediately knew that I wanted a yellow one like it. I ended up with an unadultered Combat, and a similarly fitted red 850. That signature on the oil tank from Matt is priceless and so very cool! And to own that very same bike that was in that video is extra special, at least to me it is. Can't wait to see postings of your first start and first ride!
Congratulations, and happy early Christmas in July!
 
Starvingphotog said:
So happy for you! I looked up that youtube video of your bike earlier today when I saw this update. I just had to see it in action and remember the early days when I was looking for a Commando and got all fired up when I saw this youtube video of this guys with a fully restored cNw Commando. I immediately knew that I wanted a yellow one like it. I ended up with an unadultered Combat, and a similarly fitted red 850. That signature on the oil tank from Matt is priceless and so very cool! And to own that very same bike that was in that video is extra special, at least to me it is. Can't wait to see postings of your first start and first ride!
Congratulations, and happy early Christmas in July!
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Thanks very much. Honestly it still hasn’t really sunk in just yet. As I await NOC age related registration approval and then DVLA issue said reg and having a plate made (so weeks rather than days😢) I’ve spent much of my first week getting the bike nearer to the finish Matt so lovingly created. Bill Greene certainly rode rather than closeted it and it had a few battle scars but honestly they are trivial but the ridiculously high bar set by Matt focuses one’s mind.

Today I removed the tank (empty) to get better access to the tappet covers and head-steady and to deep clean the head and barrels.

This was the moment I decided it was time for my first start up. Having sumped over the months since I bought it I drained the oil and headed off to my local petrol station for a gallon of E5 with a can. I’d previously charged the Shorai lithium battery.

Time to fire him up. Well the battery was tough and the engine cranked well but it took at least 8-10 goes to get it to go. Once started I increased the idle on the FCR 35s to get it to idle and then killed it. From this point it would start immediately so I guess it was just the carbs filling up.

F*$k me, it’s bloody loud!!! No sneaking out at dawn on this one. I’ve seen many Commandos recently especially so at Sammy Millars Norton day in May and none bar a custom bike were as vocal as this.

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850


Next step is the first ride and it’s even more of a first for me, it’ll be my first Commando ride ever; yep I not only bought this bike but any Commando, blind. I like you was totally in awe of the bike in that video and to find it for sale on Matt’s sight was as big a moment for me as when I first clapped eyes and then test drove a Lotus Elise; just had to have it. Unbelievably #101 cost the same albeit 25 years between them.

Can’t wait to loose my Norton virginity but will definitely be taking things very steady to get a feel for him.
 
Second start up yesterday and a mini ride; the length of my drive (I’m still not road legal 😢). Matt’s advice with FCRs is to always leave the fuel on. Well it started instantly and held idle likewise. I was eager to test the clutch feel as it’s an all hydraulic. I’ve seen many riders on various Nortons almost launch and not intentionally which I presume is a sudden biting of the clutch.

Mine is frankly as I would desire, totally progressive with plenty of feel, like I’d ridden it before, familiar and kind of modern which of course it is. No doubt purists will scoff I’ll not be living the full classic experience and they’d be right but then cNw bikes are not that and that’s suits me perfectly.

Now come on NOC, get that Age Related Registration Approval form to me so I can apply for mine with DVLA before the rain season starts; did the last even end?
 
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